Elaine: There are hundreds of things I omitted. Have you tried to find a parking plce at Ace Hardware? Or maybe at Grand Marche? At both places parking spaces are as scarce as hen's teeth. I waited over a month to get satellite internet. Was it because the product was scarce? No, it was because demand was so high.
Try getting a table without a reservation at Al Dente. try dropping by Papa Dan's pizza and see how long your wait is to pick up your pizza if you did not pre order.
In short, commerce is alive and kicking on the French side. Even Leandra and her son have started to rebuild. I hear Le String is bringing in a container to cook and serve from. It has only been a little over three months. How long did it take N.O. to rebuild after Katrina? We will come back much faster.